I'M HAPPY

There's a lot of truth to the statement made by the aging apostle John when he said, I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in love. It's a good job it's true I guess, because after all it is a part of the Bible!

Motivational speaker, writer John Maxwell is someone I hear preachers quote almost as often as the Bible. He makes the point, There is no success without a successor.

John (the Biblical one that is, not Maxwell) was encouraged in his old age as he saw the generations coming after him embracing the same values that had turned his own life around. I guess it meant he had been succesful.

The same thing works for me too.

I believe that we are called to mission - saved to reach others with the good news. So it was good to see Jonathan join a team from our church in Scotland as a teenager and set off to evangelize remote communities in the highlands one summer. It was thrilling to see Charlotte leaving for her first missions trip to Spain at the age of 15.

And the pattern continues. Tomorrow Charlotte will lead our missions team to the DR, the first of two she will take this year. At the same time, I am preparing to leave for India on the evening of June 4th and Gill is getting her South Africa missions team organized for October. Jonathan plans to join me in India again as soon as his work schedule permits, probably next year.

There really is no greater joy - though it will be very cool to see the grandchildren starting to serve others through missions too.